EV2? Well, the story goes that when the EV1 was in gestation (during the early 1990s), GM secured several subsequent EV number names -- which, as we all know by now -- never quite had to be employed. So, while the official handle for Chevy's highly-anticipated extended range hybrid is "Volt," I like to think of it as what might have eventually followed the EV1...with that small detail of a missing decade before automotive battery technology finally discovered the lithium-ion chemistry that's been long used by laptops and cell phones.

The EV2, er, Volt, we had the opportunity to drive today at Dodger Stadium represents a significant step toward the car's eventual production, slated for late 2010 as a 2011 model. And what are the big takeaways from today's limited, parking lot driving experience? One is that its engine/generator's startup experience (which occurs after its EV-mode's battery charge has depleted to about 30 percent) is far more seamless than I ever would have expected. Two is that despite its other-worldly powertrain, the Volt drives remarkably like any normal car (Mom would never know the difference). And three, those Volt skeptics out there are going to be badly embarrassed if they keep doubting the seriousness of this vehicle.

Unlike some of the other extended range (plugs-in) hybrids being developed, the Volt is entirely driven by its 149-horsepower electric motor. The gas engine itself contributes power exclusively through its generator's output (which is 71 horses after power conversion losses, the 1.4-liter engine's actual power hasn't been released). And this has led many people to make some incorrect assumptions about how powerful the Volt will be once its battery reaches that minimum 30 percent level. What happens is -- well, nothing much happens at all. No, the Volt isn't suddenly diminished to a wimpy 71 horsepower automobile, because the engine-generator (which operates between 1000 and 4000 rpm, and is always under load) is continuously replenishing the battery. In other words, unless you're endlessly climbing Everest, there are plenty of opportunities for the generator to keep that approximately 30-percent state-of-charge maintained. So let's dispense with that erroneous assumption.

Great, just what we need... an over priced, mediocre, taxpayer funded car built by the workers party. For the billions wasted, they could give every taxpayer in America one of these for free. We never will get our money back ... never.Shame on Motor Trend. No objective journalism throughout this whole taxpayer bailout fiasco. And now they are back to their corporate jets since Obama owns the company. Will let my paper subscription lapse when the time comes.

I guess like any other new technology, if you want to be an "early adopter", all the bugs won't quite be worked out yet and it's going to cost you. But I admire that GM is taking this step into the future.I hate the gimmicky styling, though--it looks like a bad concept car from an obscure coachbuilder that you would have seen at the 1985 Turin Auto Show. That thick matt black stripe to make the windows look large is especially cheesy, in my opinion...

GM did their homework on this vehicle, they just missed the boat when it came to the pricing. The 40 mile range is based on statistics that has 75% of the working population having a daily commute of less than 40 miles. So, if you can get to and from work without using a drop of gasoline, which apparently 75% of the working population can, the Volt is great. Most people are not going to be driving 300-400 miles a day. And the idea that people are going to forget to plug in their car at night is hilarious...why would you buy a plug-in hybrid if you're going to forget about at night.

Anyone reading this post has to laugh at LT1Boy... After singling out 4 people on here by name he says, "attacking the person instead of the argument makes you lose all credibility in your arguments."Then he says about the prius that hypermilers can get 100+ mpg, but that there is no way the Volt can get more than its proclaimed 40 mile EV range. (What if you put it in the same hypermiler's hands?)All this aside, I can't wait for this thing. Good job GM!

Why is this so difficult for some to understand. The Volt is good if you have a less than 40 mile commute. It uses zero gas and produces zero emissions. After the 40 mile range, the engine kicks in with an 8 gallon tank. Even GM says that with the hybrid powertrain, you can go for several hundred miles, ie 300-400 miles. And this is based on perfect conditions. If you don't want to plug it in, you don't have to, but you have to fill the tank. When the battery is dry, and the tank is empty, the Volt won't move. So we're looking at basically 35-50 mpg for a $40,000 hybrid.

Can we say Chrysler Cirrus? I think an aftermarket company should offer "VOLT" front ends to the old Cirrus. You'd have the same car.Technologically advanced? Not really. GM could have acted faster by resending the EV1.I love the way they are "testing" a price of $33K - assuming there IS a tax credit of $7500.Just like someone else posted - "GM is on their game." AGAIN!

42.2 mpg is not quite a good value and after all the excitement somehow disappointing. This translate into roughly 5.5l/100km. Many European cars achieve this already today - without electricity.Seriousely, I was hoping for 55+ mpg real world average.

I think it's a good looking car. Price, of course, is an issue. Hopefully, that will come down as the technology becomes more popular. That being said, I still don't want it even if it was half its current price. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot for being green.

This is a step in the right direction. This "new" technology needs to be tested and refined on a huge scale, which means it needs to be put in the hands of consumers. The Volt tech could be a stepping stone for future applications. These electric motors with high-torque have a future in applications such as semi-trucks and tractors.As for the Volt itself:1. Looks - not bad.2. Price - very bad.3. Innovation - very good.4. Eight-hour charge time - bad.I doubt that most users will plug this in after a couple weeks of ownership and the hassles. Just think about it for a while and it doesn't take long to see the annoyances with the long charge time. (eg, a commuter gets home after work, plugs in, then remembers about that errand to run. Going out to dinner? Plug in, unplug, plug in? I think not.) I think most owners will simply rely on the combustion engine and keep filling the gas tank to charge the battery. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.If the Volt is successful, like for a Hyundai version within 2 years for 65 percent of the Volt price.

And should I find a way to charge at work with a 40 mile commute, I could possibly never use gas during the work week. Can a prius do that? No. Oh and by the way, if you simply say the volt gets 7 miles to the gallon better and gets 45 mpg in sustaining mode, the trip you have to make without charging to burn the same gas as a prius in one trip more than doubles to 300 miles. If you are basing your estimates on a 8 gallon tank, don't. They have yet to announce a tank size, only that it will provide 340 + miles of range. The test volts have an 8 gal tank, that doesn't mean the final version will.

Lets put it in mathematical terms: Lets say the volt does only get 38mpg when in sustaining mode (which is ludicrous since the volt will probably be more efficient than any conventional 38mpg car) and lets say you only got 35 gas free miles. This means to burn the same amount of gas a prius burns in ONE trip you would have to drive 138 miles before you over take the prius in spent gas. I don't know about your trips every day, but I rarely drive 138 miles in a day. So on a daily basis to and from work, I will always use less gas then the BEST prius. And I have a 40 mile commute one way.

It is all speculation. I figure the volt will do much better in millage than 40mpg even in sustaining mode just because of the fact that the generator is not always running, there is little energy loss to heat from multiple rotating parts. The fact that people do not have to drive with the gasoline engine on at all is what separates this car from the prius totally, and makes it more advanced. With the prius the best mileage you could possibly get is the EPA 51. The volt if you choose to drive it under 40 miles a day can achieve infinite mileage. And even if it is used to travel over that, the fact that the first 40 are infinite and the latter will approach (most likely) what the prius delivers. This makes the volt more advanced.

Everyone take notice - LT1Boy is God and predicts the future of all man, I mean car kind. What I was stating was, until the car comes out and you see what the sticker price is and what options is offered as standard you are SPECULATING for now! The GM EV1 come one way/one way only (meaning loaded) so this $40K Volt could very well compare to a $33K Prius. Anyways the Prius is still butt ugly and they are no getting around that! I suggest you go to the "More Volt Updates" Forum and read what rougeriver quoted because then you might learn something. He makes a lot more sense than you!http://forums.motortrend.com/70/7955594/the-general-forum/more-volt-updates/page6.html

I bet if everyone started driving electric cars, electric companies will be even worse than the gas companies since they usually have a monopoly providing your home with electricity. Yep, electricity rates will skyrocket and those little windmills and solar panels nobody wants in their backyards aren't going too help much. With GM's CEO stepping down, how many more CEO's will GM have before we get this car or will GM still be around?

Ok haters, if the Prius can get 50 mpg while still using a conventional Drivetrain, and suffers from (a relatively)diminished fuel economy due to the parasitic nature of the engine transmission marriage, then the volt will get substantially more from its engine that works less than the prius engine due to it's lack of transmission-engine marriage. Seriously, GM is just doing what it is notorious for...UNDERSTATING the potential of its engines/cars. Corvettes and camaros are and have been notoriously underrated by gm. Its a good strategy of under promising and over delivering. Just watch...

In the end, the Prius > the Volt because it's $18k cheaper (you can buy a lot of gas for $18k), it's more economical, and it's more convenient. Plug-in cars are a step backwards, and GM has got it all wrong. The Volt is not for everybody. If the Volt was competitively priced around $20k, then it would change my mind. But as it is right now, it's nothing more than an expensive toy.

Lovesmesomecars. You still don't get it, do you? Just because you've seen a few fully loaded, marked up Priuses on some lots for $33k, doesn't mean that's what they're selling for everywhere. A base Prius is $22k. A base Volt is $40k. With options and dealer mark ups, both will increase in cost. You do understand what options and dealer mark ups are, don't you? And oh, about your jealousy comment - I'm far from jealous, rather I'm just stating the facts. And attacking the person instead of the argument makes you lose all credibility in your arguments.1966Impala. Not everybody achieves the Prius's 51mpg. But there are some "hyper milers" who have gotten 100+mpg with the Prius. Look it up if you don't believe me. It's all about your driving style. Having said that, most people will probably never reach the Volt's estimated 40 miles on a charge and 38mpg once it's done, since real world mpg numbers hardly ever reflect the advertised mpg numbers.

AmericanMan. True the Volt and the Prius are not exactly the same, but they are going to be cross shopped when people are looking to buy a hybrid. Thus, a comparison is inevitable. And if all of this is just hearsay and none of the information are yet facts, then this article and all these comments can be disregarded altogether.IBx-1. You need some better reading comprehension. The volt is a PLUG-IN HYBRID. Once the "40 miles" is used up on the electric charge, then the gasoline engine will start charging the electric engine and the Volt will achieve roughly 38mpg. For the batteries to be fully charged again, the Volt needs to be plugged in, and it'll take 8 hours to fully charge them.

I will hold judgement till MT can have a full long-term test. I think it will be a good vehilce. I could live with charging it for eight hrs. i don't drive around all day long 7 days a wk. like LT1boy. I also think that LT1 forgets that the Prius has never really gotten the numbers that it said it would. My uncle owns a second-gen. Got it when it came out and he does not average the 50mpg est. it was given. If I could get Volt I would able to go to work all week w/out a recharge. Also the article states that the gas engine, recharges the batteries while u drive. So yes, u could drive 40mi, it would switch to gas to continue driving and recharge the batteries. Sounds like that would work for people who drive in cities everyday.We shall see what we shall see and I will pass judgement then.

thang and LT1Boy jealousy will get you no where, with that speculation will get you anywhere either. Has GM give a list of 'stand equipment'? Until the car's price has been officially announced keep with your speculation.You mention this $22K for a Prius but the funniest thing is, I've never seen one for this price. As mentioned I've seen plenty on the lots for $33K.

The Volt is a big step in the right direction. If we can get rid of the environmental wackos in congress (AKA democrats) and actually build some new power plants (nuclear, coal, etc) in this country, then we will be heading towards energy independence.Instead of all of those billions of dollars going to the middle east or to Chavez for their oil, it will say right here at home.

I just read the electric bill comment. You guys, we can make electricity 100 different ways right here at home in America! While we get off of foreign oil we can work our way off of coal plants and even nuclear energy as well. A solar panel on your house could store enough energy to charge and run this car forever. Even at current city rates, the electric cost as stated before would be about 1 dollar per charge on average. 1 dollar to go 40+ miles. This is the wave of the future... No need for gas, just 'Quick Charge' stations which are being developed as we chat. Even with a 220 outlet at home this thing can fully charge in about 2-3 hours. As battery tech increases I'm confident we can get that down to a small fraction of that. Remember also that this Voltec technology will not just be for the Volt but for many cars! From a Corvette to an SUV.. The sky is the limit in our future.

I do think the Volt is innovative and will be a strong competitor in the marketplace, but I do think if GM could increase the EV-only range to 100 miles, it would have a HUGE impact on consumer percpetion, and instantly deem the Prius and even the Leaf essentially irrelevant. It doesn't sound like they're that far off that benchmark.

This is hands down the best looking electric car yet. I'd probably buy one if it was just a plain 4 cylinder car. I'm not understanding those who are down on the Volt? It's going to be American made (right in Michigan), you can plug it in wherever there's an outlet and charge it up for about a dollar, it's also a Historical moment in automotive history. To have something mass produced like this is the equivalent to the automakers in the late 1800's/early 1900's bringing cars to life and forever changing the way we commute and live. The car isn't a hybrid in the same sense as a Prius so I don't even understand the comparisons? It's an Electric vehicle period. It also just so happens to have a generator which can recharge the battery if needed. The engine/generator is only there for a quick battery charge, not to drive the car. If this goes 40-50 miles on a single charge, and you only drive 20-40 miles per day on average, you'll never use a single drop of gas, Ever.

What's gonna happen when there are a couple million Volts driving around?? Our electric grids can barely handle our current demand. Watch everyones electricity rates skyrocket if there's a significant amount of people buying these Volts and charging them at home. This technology is simply pushing the environmental responsibility on to the electrical companies.

By the time the volt appears in dealerships the new fusion, prius, and any other hybrid will have way better gas mileage. I am glad that GM is trying to Innovate but i dont see this as a game changer, Also, no one is taking into consideration how much your electric bill will rise once you start charging this thing everynight, plus you still have to put gas in it. What if it breaks down? You can't take it to some repair shop. This car will fail primarily due to the American people not being ready for it.

@LT1 Comparing the Volt to the prius is not comparing apples to apples. The prius could not move 1 mile without using some gas. The Volt can. As for the car not getting the 40 mile EV range in the test so what. The car isn't even going to start to be built for another year.Every comment about the car so far is just hear say and pre mature. No one but GM knows what the price will REALLY be, what the MPG will REALLY be, and what the EV range will REALLY be. So you just like me know are just waisting are time talking about hear day.

The Volt is only for those who A) Drive less than 30 miles round trip for their daily commute (30 is more realistic) B) Don't plan on driving anywhere else for the rest of the day C) Have a place to store and charge the Volt for 8 hours before their next commute D) Have $40k to splurge for a commuter car.Any car that you have to plug in for hours on end is a step backwards in the advancement of the automotive world. It limits your mobility and it limits your driving freedom.

Lovemesomecars, yes I read "this article" and other articles about the Volt, and I've come to the same conclusion as before. The Prius > the Volt. Why?1) Prius costs $22k before tax credit. Volt costs $40k before tax credit.2) Prius gets 51mpg. Volt gets 38mpg.3) Prius never needs to be plugged in. Volt needs to be plugged in for EIGHT FREAKING HOURS to fully recharge. Think you can stop at a gas station, recharge, and get another "40" gas free miles? Think again.The only advantage the Volt has is that it can drive "up to 40 miles" before running out of juice. But as Motor Trend said themselves,"We weren't able to test the car's claimed 'up to 40 mile' EV range"and Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah makes it clear- "The Volt's [battery-only] range is up to 40 miles. MOST PEOPLE WILL GET LESS THAN 40 MILES. A few people will get more than 40."

It is ugly. It looks to me like a 1st gen Stratus around the windows. It also has a huge front overhang making the car look like it's falling forward. I HATE the square screen behind the steering wheel. It reminds me of the early K-Cars dashboards. UGLY! I applaud the attempt but I will not be buying a 40k+ car that only gets 300 miles of range. My 2003 Golf gets 400+ miles of range right now. The Fit gets 400 miles of range and costs under 20 grand. I do not see the Volt as a success among the non-celebrity posers who would normally buy a Prius.

lovemesomecars lol??. base prius is 22k. BASE volt is $40,000. if the prius loaded $33k than ur volt is going to be $60.000 loaded????. This is show how big your brain is!!!. Btw read E39M comment. That the real problem for paying $40k car for a 20k.

If you know anything about video games you know what happened when the Playstation 3 arrived. It was an innovative, game changing device that cost way too much and because of that, the sales tanked.I wish GM the best of luck but the price does need to come down a bit. I understand that new technology is costly and these will sell to the bleeding heart liberals no matter what the price (even though we are now finding out that man made Global Warming has been fantastically exaggerated), but c'mon....40 large?

Decent looking car. I am more impressed then what I thought I would be. Now lets look at some facts..- Nobody knows what the real mileage will be on this car. Gm has stated 70-80 and higher. MT found around 50. C/D and New York times guesstamate around 32. Nobody knows because we still after 2-3 years do not have a finished product. Since they cannot drive it over 40 miles.. all hearsay.- This car has still not been classified by the government yet, so therefore, we do not know what the tax credit will be.- Hopefully, this will work out for GM. But, if the mileage ends up being only slightly better then an Insight or Prius, and the tax credit does not happen, then you are looking at a $40,000 Hype which only the GM diehards will buy. That itself will not help GM and there will be a major backlash for it.I am concerned it is the latter.

I'll admit, I seriously had my doubts about this car. I'm still not sure how well it will do at $32.5k, but from this review, at least it sounds promising. Given time, I'm sure the price will decline to a point that it will be competitive with the prius.

bos_pen, did you read? The EV1 had to get that many miles out of a charge just to be viable as a car. The Volt gets 40 miles, then it gets another 40, then another 40, then another 40, then another 40, then you stop at a gas station and get another 40, plug it in, get more 40's, etc.